ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, halting flight departures at airports across the country after a communications problem affected air traffic control centers.
The FAA said the order was issued “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the communications problem affected air traffic control centers nationwide and that FAA technicians were investigating.
The FAA’s initial alert offered little explanation, stating only that “all departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice.”
A spokesperson for Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport confirmed that the FAA had ordered the ground stop but said she had no additional information.
“I don’t have anything else I can tell you,” she said.
A ground stop prevents affected aircraft from taking off but does not require planes already in the air to land immediately.
It was not immediately clear how long the disruption would last or how many flights were affected.
828newsNOW has contacted Asheville Regional Airport to determine how the order is affecting local flights.
Travelers scheduled to fly Friday should check with their airlines for the latest information on delays and cancellations.